Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has confirmed that he has no objection against the Election Commission's delimitation exercise of the constituencies in the state. A draft proposal was published last week by the commission which resulted in state-wide protests.
Sarma told the media that only the political parties who did not understand the said proposal or are looking at an electoral defeat in the upcoming assembly elections had opposed the delimitation exercise.
Himanta Biswa Sarma also reportedly said, "We are a secular nation where constituencies are determined by keeping everyone's well-being in mind. Reservation is done based on population figure of a specific community."
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He told that “there has been no problem” with the exercise of redrawing assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam.
"Only certain people who are staring at imminent electoral defeat are making noise against it," Sarma asserted.
When asked about some of the communities of Assam like Rabhas, Morans, Mottocks and Ahoms being unhappy with the proposal, he refuted the claims and said, "They all are rejoicing, in fact. I had been to Lakhimpur and Dhemaji (with sizeable tribal population) and I didn't hear anything. I am the chief minister, I would have heard had there been anything.”
Sarma reportedly pointed out that delimitation is done on the basis of population, and those opposing the draft have “no knowledge of the law or Constitution”.
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What is the delimitation exercise draft?
In the draft delimitation document released on June 20, the Election Commission has proposed to retain the number of assembly seats in Assam at 126 and the Lok Sabha constituencies at 14.
The commission has also planned to alter the geographical boundaries of most of the constituencies, both assembly and the Lok Sabha, while eliminating some seats and creating a few new ones.
This led to protests in the state by opposition parties as well as allies of the ruling BJP-led coalition government.
Terming the draft delimitation proposal an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to polarise voters on religious lines disregarding the sentiment of people, opposition parties have decided to present the “grievances” of citizens before the EC.
(With PTI inputs)
